After School Specials were popular for quite a while, but went away when they started competing with talk shows. Since they were made for an adolescent audience, they lost to …more adult-centric programming..
Here are some interesting articles on the subject:.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_school_special.
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/01/01/the_strange_afterlife_of_the_after_school_special/?page=1

Sarah Wayne Callies starred as Dr. Sara Tancredi in Prison Break for s1 & s2. As she would be 9 months pregnant for the beginning of season 3 the writers decided to kill off h…er character with a beheading. Her contract was not renewed for that season..
At fan furor, the network requested she be brought back. So she returns in season 4..
The premise of the series was built on Lincoln beings framed for the murder of the vice president's brother Terrance Steadman although he remained alive & in hiding. The Company once again proves it can fake just about anything whether body or head..
It was determined that the Company also faked the death of Sara. Only Lincoln had seen the shocking 'head in a box' and he was so sickened that he saw it only for seconds before stumbling out in shock. Through the manipulation of Company Agent Gretchen Morgan & fear for his son, the kidnapped LJ, Lincoln believes the lie..
So Sarah & Sara return for season 4 to assist the brothers in to try & find something to bring down The Company once and for all..
Series ends with the season 4 finale scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2009 in the US (FOX).

Kirk Cameron is active in ministry today. He has been in several faith based movies including the Left Behind series and the hit film Fireproof , and is currently featured …in the television series Way Of The Master .